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The dwindling congregation of the Victoria Avenue United Church in Chatham has breathed a collective sigh of sorrow and relief to have an action plan in place.

A structural engineering report completed about five years ago found the roof trusses over the church sanctuary were in bad need of repair.

But the estimated $1.5 million price tag for a remedy was too daunting for the church coffers, chair of the board of trustees, George Service told The Chatham Daily News on Sunday.

The congregation's years of grappling over how to proceed finally ended after worship with a three-quarter majority vote in favour of razing the church with all its additions and moving into rented or shared facilities.

“This is a decision made by the congregation after years of study,” said Service.

The decision was one of three choices facing the congregation.

The other two choices were building a new facility after demolition of the old sanctuary at a minimum cost of $2.3 million; or spending $500,000 to raze the sanctuary and erect a new wall where it joins the addition built in 1930.

In September, the congregation hired Rev. James Brown to lead the members through the process.

Brown is confident the congregation will not only survive ‑ but thrive.

“I am pleased with the people here taking responsibility, weighing the odds. We have a good congregation,” said Brown.

Church secretary Gabriella Cutler spoke of the congregation's efforts to provide community service.

From offering homemade soup to opening their pantry as food is donated.

Something she hopes members will continue to offer once they've moved into new quarters.

“We offer a full Sunday meal and friendship once a month and give food vouchers for people to pick out groceries at a local store,” said Cutler.

Service said the congregation had grown to 1,000 families at one time since it opened in 1877.

There are now only 84 families contributing both financial and physically to keep the church afloat.

The facility is also home to weekly worshipers of the Korean Presbyterian Church of Chatham-Kent.

Sikhs meet there monthly too.

Service said the United Church will work with those two organizations if they are interested in sharing facilities once a new home has been found.

“It's not an end of an era, but the beginning on an era,” said Service.